St. Louis Center for Play Therapy Training

Create a Crest

2012-02-28T07:51:00.004-06:00

Create images on a crest that represent positive qualities. Can be used individually or in a group or family setting.

Feelings Ring Toss

2012-02-21T11:55:00.001-06:00

Use recyclable materials to create a Feelings Ring Toss game. It's a technique that helps young children identify and express their emotions.

Matching Feelings Game

2012-02-19T17:57:00.004-06:00

Got a box of poker chips laying around? Use them to create a Matching Feelings Game.

Looking for Play Therapy Training?

2012-02-14T21:21:00.001-06:00

Most of the play therapy training opportunities that we offer through the St. Louis Center for Play Therapy Training are held in the St. Louis area. However, in 2012 we're hitting the highway to bring play therapy training to locations outside of St. Louis.

We currently have trainings scheduled for:

May 5, 2012 in Nashville, TN

May 12, 2012 in Mt. Vernon, IL

More locations will be added soon to our schedule.

We can come to you! Contact us with your training needs and we can bring a play therapy training to your agency, organization or your state play therapy branch. Email us and request a list of available topics. We can even design a training specific to your needs.

The Worry Web Technique

2012-02-13T19:38:00.004-06:00

The Worry Web is an assessment technique to gauge the intensity of a child's anxiety and to help them come up with coping skills.

Stick Puppets

2012-02-07T09:06:00.002-06:00

Use color coding labels and craft sticks to create stick puppets.

Let's Go Fishing For Feelings!

2012-01-31T07:54:00.003-06:00

An easy to make game that encourages children to identify and express feelings.

Two-Sided Puppet

2012-01-29T11:41:00.001-06:00

Kids enjoy making puppets from paper bags. This two-sided puppet was the inspiration of an 8 year old client I was working with who had a fear of monsters.

Animal Projection Technique

2012-01-24T14:58:00.002-06:00

Put together a collection of miniature animals and you can facilitate this animal projection technique.

Turn a Photo Album Into a Feelings Book

2012-01-22T20:22:00.000-06:00

Using a photo album purchased at a dollar store you can easily create a book of feelings.

Make Your Own Stress Balls

2012-01-16T18:33:00.001-06:00

Balloons, play dough and a permanent marker are the only supplies you need to create these stress balls.

Therapeutic File Folder Games

2012-01-09T21:31:00.001-06:00

Use file folders and stickers to create one of a kind, easy to store, therapeutic board games.

Have You Seen Our Play Therapy Schedule for 2012?

2012-01-08T19:14:00.000-06:00

Play Therapy with Children in Foster Care
Presented by Toby Mills, LMSW
January 21, 2012

Toby Mills, LMSW

Working with children and families within the foster care system comes with unique challenges. It requires knowledge of the court systems, complex family dynamics and an understanding of how to utilize play therapy interventions for the wellbeing of children. In this training we will learn specific mental health diagnoses commonly found with children in the foster care and ways that play therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of these diagnoses. The challenges of working with Medicaid, play therapy treatment planning and how to provide documentation to the court will be discussed. We will review specific vignettes, giving and sharing our own ideas of ways to work with children facing the
stress of abuse, disrupted attachments, broken family systems and mental illness.

REGISTER NOW

Training Location: The offices of Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT

Registration includes continental breakfast
Attendees receive a gift bag
Play therapy toys and books will be available for purchase
CE certificate included in the fee; never an extra charge

2012 Training Schedule

Play Therapy with Families

February 10, 2012

Presented by Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT

REGISTER NOW

Play Therapy with Anxious Children

February 25, 2012

Presented by Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT

REGISTER NOW

Play Therapy for Grieving Children & Children of Divorce

March 10, 2012

Presented by Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT

REGISTER NOW

Play Therapy: Specialized Groups & Adolescents

March 31, 2012

Presented by Katie Sabo, MA, LPC, CSC, RPT

REGISTER NOW

Play Therapy for Preschoolers

April 13, 2012

Presented by Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT

REGISTER NOW

Your paid registration includes continental breakfast and a gift bag!
Play therapy books and toys are available for sale at every training.
CE certificate included in the fee; never an extra charge.

All trainings, unless otherwise noted, are held at the offices of
Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT. Click HERE for location information.

Are You Using Pinterest?

2012-01-03T10:29:00.000-06:00

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. It lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find in your life. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

I'm relatively new at Pinterest but have found it to be an awesome place to find resources pinned by therapists who are as passionate as I am about play therapy.

I have several play therapy related boards and I've gained many followers. Here's my direct link. Pinterest - Pam Dyson Check out my boards, follow all or some of my boards and I'll follow you back!

Assemble a Play Therapy Kit for only $25.00

2012-01-02T20:27:00.003-06:00

Putting together a play therapy kit doesn't have to break your budget. By shopping dollar stores I put together this selection of toys and I only spent $25.00.

Anxiety Airplane

2011-12-29T16:30:00.004-06:00

Create a paper airplane and throw your worries away.

Emotion Scale

2011-12-19T10:54:00.003-06:00

A number scale is a great tool for helping children describe the intensity of their emotions.

Want to Learn More About Play Therapy?

2011-12-13T10:09:00.000-06:00

Then check out our upcoming 2012 Play Therapy Training Schedule. We offer a variety of trainings for both beginning and advanced mental health professionals that will encourage and support you as you develop the skills needed to be an effective play therapist.

All trainings are presented in a relaxed, experiential atmosphere. You'll have an opportunity to network with other playful minded people and there's always chocolate to snack on during breaks.

The majority of our trainings are held in St. Louis, MO but if you can't come to us we can come to you! Contact us concerning your training needs and we can bring a play therapy training to your agency, organization or state play therapy branch. We offer a variety of topics from which to choose.

We also offer consulting services. Whether it's case consultations, help with setting up a play therapy room and selecting toys or marketing your play therapy practice we can help you achieve your professional goals.

What attendees are saying.....

“The training was great! I learned so much helpful information and wanted to thank
you for offering affordable and relevant material.”

"Wonderful training with a lot of great information. The small group setting made it comfortable."

"It's nice to go away with ideas, concepts and techniques that can be implemented
immediately."

"I'm definitely signing up for another training!"

The St. Louis Center for Play Therapy Training is an approved provider for the Association for Play Therapy #10-269

Washable Feelings

2011-12-12T08:17:00.002-06:00

Photos from our December 10th training "Fun in the Sand: The Healing Power of Sandtray Play Therapy"

2011-12-11T12:30:00.001-06:00

Community sandtray

A second community sandtray

Attendees creating personal sandtrays

Personal sandtray being created

Miniatures from which attendees could choose to create a sandtray

Miniatures to use to create personal and community sandtrays

Miniatures for sale at the training

More miniatures that were available for purchase during the training

Pam Dyson, MA, LPC, RPT - director of the St. Louis Center for Play Therapy Training and Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT - our presenter

If you're interested in attending a future training event go to www.stlplaytherapy.com http://stlplaytherapy.com/ for more information and to register.

Puppet Storage

2011-12-09T09:21:00.001-06:00

A shoe holder with clear pockets is a great way to display puppets.

Sandtrays

2011-12-08T15:48:00.001-06:00

If you're just beginning to use sandtrays or you're on a budget there are many variations of trays. Here's a look at just a few.

Make Your Own Fences to Use in Sandtrays

2011-12-07T19:52:00.001-06:00

Combine crafts and glue sticks to make fences.

Floating Feelings

2011-12-06T14:32:00.001-06:00

Use ping pong balls to create a Floating Feelings game.

Feeling Faces Puzzles

2011-12-05T07:50:00.001-06:00

Make a great group activity using paper plates, markers and a scissors.

Let's Make a Feelings Flip Book

2011-12-04T09:46:00.001-06:00

The Many Uses of Bandaids in Play Therapy

2011-12-03T08:35:00.001-06:00

Box of Feelings

2011-12-02T09:41:00.001-06:00

Put some everyday objects into a box and have children come up with ways they can use those objects to manage their feelings.

Inspiration Stones

2011-11-30T08:11:00.001-06:00

Make your own inspiration stones to use in sandtrays.

Play Freeze Bowl to Encourage Impulse Control

2011-11-29T07:32:00.001-06:00

Anger Sponge

2011-11-28T08:15:00.001-06:00

Grab a sponge and an eye dropper you have a play therapy technique to help children deal with their anger.

2011-11-27T08:08:00.001-06:00

Grab some ping pong balls, a permanent marker, a bowl of water and a slotted spoon or tongs to make Floating Feelings.

2011-11-22T11:27:00.001-06:00

Toss away your anxieties with this paper airplane.

Thumbprint Feelings Book

2011-11-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

All you need is a stamp pad, some paper and a marker and you can create a Thumbprint Feelings Book.

Let's Make Play-dough!

2011-11-20T09:53:00.001-06:00

Play-dough is easy and inexpensive to make and it lasts longer than commercial products.

Let's Make Feelings Dice!

2011-11-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I found this blank dice pattern at Sparkle Box.

I had these stampers from Melissa and Doug.

I stamped six different expressions onto the dice pattern that I printed on card stock.

I cut it out, folded it and taped it together using double-sided tape.

A child rolls the dice and the emotion that lands on top is identified. The child also shares a time when they experienced that feeling.

Using the Game "Don't Break the Ice" as a Play Therapy Tool

2011-11-18T09:53:00.001-06:00

The more tools you have in your play therapy tool box the more likely you will be to select an activity that meets the needs of a specific child.

The book, Techniques-Techniques-Techniques: Play-Based Activities for Children, Adolescents & Families by Sueann Kenney-Noziska features a tool for assessment and engagement that I use often in my practice. It's called, "Ice Breaker" and it utilizes the Hasbro game, Don't Break the Ice.

The basic premise of the game is that colored stickers are placed on the underside of the game ice cubes with each color corresponding to one of six categories. As players knock ice cubes out of the game, they shared something about themselves based on the color of the the sticker. You can read specific details of how to make and use the game on the Infinity Publishing web site.

I've made some minor adaptations to the game to fit the specific needs of my clients. While playing this game a child's defenses are down and they're more likely to communicate their thoughts and feelings.

This is an easy and affordable technique to create and it's adaptable to the population you work with. The only challenge to this game is actually setting the game up and putting the ice cubes into position. Many young children find this difficult so I use that as an opportunity to discuss frustration tolerance.

If you use this technique I'd enjoy hearing your comments on how variations of this game and how you find it helpful in regards to assessment and engagement strategies.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend the December 10 Training, "Fun in the Sand: The Healing Power of Sandtray Play Therapy."

2011-11-17T07:27:00.001-06:00

10. Network with other therapists
9.   Experience your own sandtray
8.   Earn APT CE hours 7.   You’ll leave with a gift bag
6. Door prizes during breaks
5.   One therapist will win a free training in 2012
4.   Sandtray miniatures will be for sale
3. It’s an interactive training
2.   Tammi Van Hollander is an excellent presenter
1.   You’ll have FUN!

REGISTER NOW!

A Puppet Stage Made From a Tri-Fold Display Board and a Puppet Storage Solution

2011-11-16T15:51:00.001-06:00

Here's an easy and inexpensive way to make a puppet stage.

It can be challenging to store puppets. I found a way to solve that problem.

Using Jenga as a Play Therapy Tool

2011-11-15T12:26:00.001-06:00

The game of Jenga can be adapted for use in play therapy. This video clip describes several some therapeutic variations of this game.